Elegy of Tang Dynasty

Chapter 238 run away

Chapter 238 run away
In his study room, Zheng Shuqing, who has already served as the censor Zhongcheng, is reading an official document from the imperial court. It is the imperial censor Yan Zhenqing impeaching An Lushan, the military governor of Pinglu.

The specific content is all commonplace.Such things as border provocations, massacres of Khitan chiefs, private expansion of the army, and increases in the size of tribes born near the city.

In fact, Li Longji doesn't care about these things at all, nor does he care much.In Zheng Shuqing's view, Yan Zhenqing was just looking for trouble!

Khitan people are like beasts.

The mainstream thinking in Tang Dynasty society believed that there was no need to be polite to these barbarians who were not treated as human beings in Tang Dynasty society, and there were no constraints of benevolence, justice and morality.

Nobles and even commoners in the Tang Dynasty from Li Longji on down had similar views.

Even if some Khitan tribes took refuge in the Tang Dynasty, such as the Li family in Liucheng.Li Guangbi, a close confidant of Wang Zhongsi, was a Khitan and came from the Li family in Liucheng.But they still cannot enter the inner circle of Datang politics and cannot be treated as equals.

In the military world of the Tang Dynasty, even if the ascending channel is not closed, not everyone is equal.

This is like saying: a tamed dog is also an animal, and an untamed wolf is also an animal. There is a formal difference between the two, but there is no essential difference.The Central Committee of the Tang Dynasty was very satisfied with the iron-blooded policy implemented by An Lushan in the border town. At least most people, most of the time, were satisfied, including Ji Ge.

An Lushan killed the Khitans in the border town. Ji Ge didn't see it with his own eyes, so he didn't know if it was really that cruel.

But An Lushan sent thousands of Khitan prisoners of war to Guanzhong. These people worked hard in Guanzhong to create value for the court, but Brother Ji didn't have to pay a penny. It was really enjoyable.

Brother Ji saw this and took it to heart.An Lushan's move was very popular with Brother Ji.

Therefore, Zheng Shuqing, a superior in the same department, had nothing to say about the content of Yan Zhenqing's memorial.Regarding Yan Zhenqing's dissatisfaction and private complaints, at least the Yushitai side would not say anything, let alone support it.

Not even a splash of water can be made.

Boom boom boom!
There was a knock on the door of the study.

"Who is it? It's already so late."

Zheng Shuqing put down the memorial in his hand and asked dissatisfiedly.

"Alang, Zheng Ping, a member of the Household Department, would like to see you."

The voice of the maid came from outside the door.

"Okay, bring it in."

Zheng Shuqing said calmly.

Zheng Ping was of the same race as him, and the relationship between the two was a bit far apart, so they could only be regarded as distant relatives.But this person has a special identity, that is:

Zheng Ping is Li Linfu’s son-in-law!
As a big family in Xingyang, the Zheng family of course made bets everywhere. It was not unusual for someone to become Li Linfu's son-in-law.Of course, Zheng Ping did not have Zheng Shuqing's ability to be an official. He became a member of the Ministry of Household Affairs purely because of Li Linfu's support.

In the officialdom, those who can be party members should preferably be related to them.Family affection is a bond that strengthens the relationship of interests. How to use this relationship depends purely on the performance of the parties involved.

Zheng Shuqing understands this very well, but this does not mean that he thinks highly of Zheng Ping.This is similar to the fact that Fang Chongyong is not a high-ranking official, but Zheng Shuqing thinks highly of Fang Chongyong and even makes him his master. This is the same reason.

After a while, Zheng Ping was brought in, and his embarrassed look made Zheng Shuqing feel sad.

Zheng Ping is young, at least ten years younger than Zheng Shuqing, but his temples are already gray, but he looks older than Li Linfu!
Come to think of it, this person's life in the Ministry of Household Affairs was not so comfortable.

If virtue is not matched, you will be punished.If you don't have the ability to be an official of the Six Ministries, but you hold the high position of a member of the Ministry of Household Affairs, your life will be difficult.

Zheng Shuqing, who knew Li Linfu's personality well, knew this very well. If he became Li Linfu's son-in-law without any ability, he would definitely have to keep his tail between his legs.

For the right minister of the Tang Dynasty, everyone was a tool and could be pushed out to death when necessary.Li Linfu spared no effort when promoting people, but he would never offend Li Longji just because he wanted to keep someone, nor would he sacrifice his family members just because he wanted to keep someone.

This is a cold political animal with no human touch at all.

"I am not your superior officer, so what is the reason for Zheng Yuanwai's late night visit?"

Zheng Shuqing asked while rubbing his hands and looking at Zheng Ping with a half-smile.

They are no longer relatives after they leave the fifth server. Even if they are of the same clan, it is impossible for Zheng Shuqing to have any friendship with Zheng Ping.

Everything he said was straight to the point.

"Zheng Yushi, your right minister has given you an order. There is something that needs to be done. During the court meeting tomorrow, Zheng Yushi must assess the situation and not stop it."

Zheng Ping bowed respectfully to Zheng Shuqing, crossed his hands and said.

"Assess the situation?"

Zheng Shuqing frowned slightly as he chewed on what Zheng Ping had just said.

Ordinarily, Li Shizhi has just assumed the position of prime minister, which is not enough to threaten Li Linfu's status.Even if Li Linfu takes care of Li Shizhi, Li Longji will still find a replacement, who may be more difficult to deal with than Li Shizhi.

Li Linfu can't say that he can kill every prime minister he comes up to, can he?

Moreover, Zheng Shuqing felt that Li Linfu did not come personally to discuss this matter, nor did he ask him to come to Pingkangfang to discuss it, but sent his son-in-law to pass the message... There must be something weird here!
"What did the Right Prime Minister say? What's the reason? You still have to tell me what the Right Prime Minister means."

Zheng Shuqing asked in a deep voice.

Decades of experience in officialdom made him aware that the current atmosphere in the court was very delicate.

"The saint wants to send the portraits of him when he was the king of Bohai County into Lingyan Pavilion. In the future, he will also send the portraits of some heroes from the Kaiyuan period to Lingyan Pavilion.

In this matter, the right minister hoped that Zheng Yushi would not stop it.The thunderous wrath of the saint is no joke. "

Zheng Ping said very respectfully, he was also a messenger anyway.

"What?"

Zheng Shuqing was stunned for a moment, thinking that he had heard wrongly.

Zheng Ping had no choice but to recount what happened in Lingyan Pavilion.

After listening to Zheng Ping's explanation, Zheng Shuqing fell silent.

Li Linfu was from a clan, and he didn't understand the significance of Lingyan Pavilion that deeply.

This is purely because of the issue of identity, which makes Li Linfu unable to empathize with him.

But Zheng Shuqing, who comes from five surnames and seven families, has his own unique understanding of what "Lingyan Pavilion" means.Zheng Shuqing's understanding was actually the understanding of some big families in the Tang Dynasty.

The political structure of the Sui and Tang Dynasties originated when Emperor Xiaowen of the Northern Wei Dynasty went south to establish his capital in Luoyang, thus forming a situation in the north where Han and Xianbei families co-governed.This situation lasted for about 20 years. From the Six Towns Rebellion to the Northern and Southern Dynasties, the post-Three Kingdoms period, and then to the establishment of the Sui Dynasty, a new situation was formed in which the Xianbei nobles merged with the Guanlong family to suppress the powerful Guandong families.

After the Taizong Xuanwu Gate Incident, the ruling class of the Tang Dynasty began the process of "suppressing the aristocratic families" to "integrating the aristocratic families" and then "unifying the aristocratic families".

The five surnames and seven families mostly exist as economic fat sheep, a loose alliance involved in government affairs, and military dwarfs.The Guanlong forces that emerged in the late Northern and Southern Dynasties relied on government troops to maintain military deterrence. Politically, they married and cooperated with these aristocratic families, forming a complex game of suppression and alliance.

Guard against each other, compete with each other and combine closely.

Lingyan Pavilion is essentially a "political chastity archway" established by Emperor Taizong.During the Emperor Gaozong's reign, he revised the portraits of the heroes many times. He wanted to take the opportunity to add his own people several times, but in the end he resisted and only revised the portraits of the old ones.

So why did Emperor Gaozong of the Tang Dynasty and even Wu Zetian later change the portraits of the heroes of Lingyan Pavilion?

Because some of the old ministers of Lingyan Pavilion rebelled, some of their achievements were underestimated in hindsight, and some of them changed their political stance.Therefore, some portraits need to be beautified and some need to be uglified. These must keep pace with the times!
Taizong and the heroes of Lingyan Pavilion were the core of the country's ruling class during the Zhenguan period!These people, and their descendants, have the highest priority on the political spectrum!People from aristocratic families, including those from five surnames and seven families, must stay behind!
And now, Li Longji proposed that he should be admitted to Lingyan Pavilion. This was not because the emperor was devaluing himself and being ranked with his ministers, but to "demonstrate" his political correctness when he ascended the throne!

In other words, it changed the trend of the political center moving eastward during the Wu and Zhou Dynasties, and the political interests of the Guanlong forces were consumed or even betrayed, and the political structure of the Zhenguan period was restored to "order things out of chaos"!

After all, the ruling order of the Tang Dynasty was indeed relatively chaotic when Wu Zhou was in his early years, and Li Longji came to power, to a certain extent, restoring the order of the ruling class during the Zhenguan period!After decades of development in Kaiyuan, during the Tianbao period, Brother Ji felt that it was time to strengthen the ruling order.

What I have done over the years requires a clear statement, which is equivalent to "finalizing the coffin."In the popular words of Fang Chongyong in his previous life, it is called "repairing and strengthening the national superstructure"!
Zheng Shuqing could predict that this was just the beginning and far from the end.

What Li Longji wanted to do was to form a ruling group with himself as the core and the heroes of the "New Lingyan Pavilion" in the Kaiyuan period as the periphery, so as to establish his absolute dominance.

In this way, no prince can replace Li Longji. Even if the coup succeeds, he will be ousted!

Li Linfu felt that this kind of thing didn't matter, since he was a branch of the Li Tang clan anyway.

But Zheng Shuqing was different. He had to be very careful in his choices. If he was not careful, he would be doomed.

If Zheng Shuqing agrees with this matter, then he must at least ensure that there is someone from the Zheng family in "New Lingyan Pavilion", or even himself!In this way, he broke away from the circle of the Five Surnames and Seven Families and entered the core of imperial rule.

This can be regarded as losing something and gaining something in the east.

Otherwise, this matter would be a pure loss politically and would not be of any benefit to oneself. It would be better to resign and live in seclusion in the mountains.

Identity determines stance. No matter how unconscionably Zheng Shuqing wants to kneel down and lick Brother Ji, there is no room for compromise or retreat on this matter.

Zheng Shuqing could not enter the circle of the emperor's heroes, so he could only continue to stay in the circle of aristocratic families with five surnames and seven families, and mix with the circle of scholar-bureaucrats in the civil service group.Even if you do nothing, you cannot arbitrarily show up and betray your political group.

Perhaps because he was considerate of his difficulties, Li Linfu did not directly ask Zheng Shuqing to go to the house in Pingkangfang to discuss the matter, but asked his son-in-law to send a letter to inform him.

"You go back and tell the right minister, so that I know about it."

Zheng Shuqing nodded slightly and said. He did not express his position and his answer was very vague.

"In that case, I will take my leave."

Zheng Ping carefully crossed his arms and bowed, then slowly exited the study.

After he left, Zheng Shuqing stood up and paced around the study room. He was struggling in his heart. He was anxious and anxious, but he had no feasible and useful countermeasures, and no one could discuss how to deal with it.

There are 25 portraits of people in Lingyan Pavilion. They have been there for a long time. This is Taizong's Zhenguan Archway.

If Li Longji builds a new "Memorial Hall" and puts in the portraits of heroes from the Kaiyuan period and builds a "Kaiyuan Archway", I guarantee that no one will say anything!
But now Brother Ji just wants to touch Ci Lingyan Pavilion and compare himself with Emperor Taizong. This is a very taboo thing.

When a person gets old, what will he pursue?

A question popped into Zheng Shuqing's mind.

Young men are lustful, and young men from aristocratic families naturally hope to have as many women in bed as possible, as beautiful as possible. Their young bodies can also be played with, and they can be made into whatever they want.

Zheng Shuqing was a person who came before this. When he was young, he was also very lustful.However, since becoming an official, the desires in my mind have become less and less, so that after becoming the censor Zhongcheng, I have almost no feelings for women.

Women are nothing compared to power!

When the emperor reaches old age, things like beauty will no longer easily cause trouble for them.

Money and the like are even more like dung.

What an old man over sixty cares about, apart from the immortality that everyone dreams of, would probably be his only pursuit and obsession: "fame".

Zheng Shuqing suddenly realized that Li Longji would never give up on Lingyan Pavilion.

No matter how many people are dismissed from office, the Emperor of the Tang Dynasty will carry them out to the end!
Li Longji has enjoyed everything he should enjoy in his life.As his body ages, there are fewer and fewer things that interest him.

What's more attractive than being remembered in history?

In the Tang Dynasty, being able to compare with Taizong was the highest honor for an emperor.

What Brother Ji is thinking about right now is that Taizong has created a genealogy of meritorious officials in Zhenguan Lingyan Pavilion, and Brother Ji also wants to create his own genealogy of meritorious officials in Kaiyuan Tianbao Lingyan Pavilion!
However, others can treat this matter as invisible, but what does Yushitai do?

That’s what it means to be a professional troll!

The Secretary of the Ministry of Finance does not have to express his position on this kind of matter, and if the Yushi Zhongcheng also treats it as invisible, he will definitely be mercilessly flogged by the historian and become notorious.

Thinking of this, Zheng Shuqing already made a decision in his heart.

……

Early the next morning, many courtiers gathered in the Zichen Hall of Daming Palace. They were all invited by Li Longji to participate in the "Little Court Meeting".

The prime minister on the left and the prime minister on the right, the six ministers and ministers, the censor doctor and the censor Zhongcheng and other senior officials were all present.

Before Gao Lishi announced the start of the court meeting, the censor Zhongcheng Zheng Shuqing went directly out of the procession and placed his official hat on the ground.

He knelt on the ground and said with tears: "I beg your sage, I have a heart disease and I can no longer hold the post of censor Zhongcheng. I also ask for the saint's permission to allow me to return to my hometown in Xingyang to recuperate, so as not to delay the saint's important events and be a failure to the country." .”

Zheng Shuqing knelt on the ground unable to get up, sobbing slightly, and his body was shaking, as if something was really wrong with his body.

The so-called "heart disease" does not refer to heart disease, but refers more to mental illness.Due to long-term overuse of the brain and high tension, symptoms of neurasthenia or abnormal excitement may occur, and sudden fainting may occur during work.

In ancient times, it was the so-called "heart disease".

This kind of person is a bit like a driver who says he has a headache and needs to go to the hospital for a check-up.

You said he was sick, but in fact nothing could be found.

You said he was not sick, but he complained that he had an unbearable headache.

Whether you are sick or not depends entirely on what the person involved says.

As long as you want to be an official, it doesn't matter if you are sick; if you don't want to be an official, calling yourself sick is just an excuse.

Li Longji, who was sitting on the dragon chair, was stunned for a moment, then stepped forward and helped Zheng Shuqing, who was kneeling on the ground with tears streaming down his face, up.

"Since you are sick, you should go back to your hometown to recuperate. After Aiqing returns to Xingyang, he will serve as the magistrate of Xingyang County. Let the court issue a decree, and Aiqing can leave all government affairs to the county magistrate and rest at home to recuperate."

Li Longji held Zheng Shuqing's arm and spoke softly, looking like a monarch and his ministers getting along with each other, and the air was filled with indescribable warmth.

"Thank you saint for your grace."

Zheng Shuqing wiped the tears on his face with his sleeves, bowed deeply to Li Longji, then waved his sleeves and turned away, leaving only the official hat of Yushi Zhongcheng in the Zichen Hall.

Zheng Shuqing neither dared to betray his own political group, nor could he bear the responsibility of opposing Li Longji's addition of heroes to Lingyan Pavilion.

His choice has only one word: Run!

He couldn't afford to offend anyone, so Zheng Shuqing directly resigned from his official position in the central government, and Run returned to his hometown to become the county magistrate!

After Zheng Shuqing left, there was an awkward silence in Zichen Hall.Before the court meeting was held, the censor Zhongcheng left first. Many people had a premonition that something bad was going to happen.Considering Zheng Shuqing's usual official style, it seems that what will happen next can already be predicted.

"Sage, I have a starting point for you."

Li Linfu's son-in-law and admonishment doctor Yang Qixuan came out of the procession and bowed to Li Longji, who was sitting on the dragon chair with his arms crossed.

"Xuan."

Gao Lishi shouted.

(End of this chapter)

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